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Nice flavoured and slightly different crisps!

Although the world cup has now finished Walker's are still selling the range of crisps that they brought out to celebrate the world cup, in which we were able to vote for a flavour. I was surprised to still see them on sale, but pleased really because I hadn't yet finished sampling all of the flavours. I spotted these on sale in Asda as an individual bag for 56p and decided I simply had to try them as I love the taste of salsa!

The Packaging:

Bright green and yellow bag and on the front of it there is a picture of a cup full of vegetables and I am told that they are Walkers Brazilian Salsa Flavour Potato Crisps, the size is stated which is 34.5g and there is an at a glance nutritional chart displayed. On the back of the bag other information listed includes being told how to vote for your favourite flavour and what you could win (the competition is now closed by the way), ingredients and the size of the bag is stated, there is a full nutritional chart displayed and contact details for Walkers are clearly stated. Nice foil bag, informative enough and looks like a Walkers product so fits in well within the range.

The Crisps:

Light orangy coloured with dark green flecks of herbs, when you open the packet you get greeted with a slightly natural sort of salsa smell which is slightly sweet in aroma and smells really, really good. Taste wise I thought these were fabulous and very unique in flavour. The crisps are of course the usual Walkers good quality that you'd expect. Thin and crispy and coated in visible flavouring I could taste a natural sweet tomato flavour blended with a small amount of rosemary and thyme. Well seasoned these were and not too salty or too greasy to look at or to eat. Packed with tangy flavouring I found these crisps incredibly moorish!

Very, very tasty these and I liked how all the flavours mingled together and nothing was too overpowering..... I mean you could even taste the potato too! Very nice Walkers and very different!

Nutritional Information Per 34.5g Serving:

Calories: 180Sugar: 1.4gFat: 11.2gSaturates: 0.9gSalt: 0.42g

Available in all good supermarkets etc...but hurry these may not be on the shelves for much longer!

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Nothing terribly wrong with these crisps, but nothing amazingly right either

The World Cup has now drawn to its somewhat unsatisfactory conclusion, and unsurprisingly perhaps, Walkers' not-at-all-associated-officially-honest-Fifa range of "Flavour Cup" crisps are starting to look a bit old hat. In fact, it is now quite common to see the packs being sold individually in discount shops for as little as 10p; for some reason the Dutch Edam one seems to have suffered this fate the most, but this Brazilian Salsa variety was also available at that price in my local shop, so I snapped it up out of curiosity as much as anything else.

Despite their moderate showing in the real World Cup, Brazil must be the most glamorous of all the nations represented in the Walkers competition. The pack is designed with a very simple yellow diamond on a green background; I am not sure what has happened to the blue that is also a major part of the Brazilian flag, but whatever the case the packet looks... well, I suppose it could be called fairly attractive. It would be going way overboard to state that it was the most gorgeously decorated of those in the Flavour Cup; it's quite good and not much more.

The nutritional values for this flavour are extremely close to those for just about all its stablemates: a multipack bag (weighing 25 grams) tips the scales at 130 kcal and 8.2g of fat, the former being quite reasonable for what it is and the latter just a little bit high, though not staggeringly so. The packet, being foil-backed plastic, is not recyclable (of course...) and the "Superfan" contest explained in some detail on the back is now almost over, though there is one final draw in October. These crisps are vegetarian, and are made in the UK; I should think so, too!

As usual with Walkers, the crisps are fairly attractive to look at, though maybe not quite the best in the range, and the smell is decent as well, if not, let's be honest here, all that reminiscent of actual salsa. They do crunch well between your teeth, which again is a Walkers trait. (They'd probably crunch well between two sheets of corrugated cardboard, too, but that's not really relevant to this review!) As is so often the way with crisps, there does seem to be rather a lot of air in the pack compared to the amount of actual crisps, but for 10p a go I suppose I can't complain too much!

As for the actual flavour... well, in all honesty I found it a bit of a let down. There are several varieties in this selection that really taste (to my strange taste buds, anyway) like only slightly varied versions of the standard Roast Chicken flavour, and much the same was the case here. Oh, there was a bit of extra spicy kick to this one, and if you used a bit (well, a lot) of imagination you could convince yourself that it was more or less salsa-y, but not nearly as much as I'd been expecting. It's okay, but really nothing at all special, and I don't yearn for its inclusion in Walkers' regular range.

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Decent crisp flavour

Brazilian Salsa is one of the World cup linked new flavours from Walkers; there are 20 types with links to a country which has qualified for this year's world cup. The Brazilian entry is a salsa flavour crisp and is in my opinion one of the nicer varieties, so much so that I've actually bought this variety on more than one occasion.

I don't know how much salsa is part of the Brazilian culture, I always think of it as Mexican or Central American but I guess Brazil isn't too far away from there so it's fine as a flavour of that part of the world.

Taste

Brazilian salsa is a flavour which reminds me of the very short lived tomato ketchup flavoured crisps Walkers brought out about 10 years. There are of course with lots of tomatoes in a salsa and that really comes through in a strong way with these crisps. The other taste or sensation is one of leaving the tip of your tongue tingling from the mild heat which these crisps also have.

The addition of the spice or heat turns these crisps from the potentially bland into a variety rather enjoyable to eat, there is a vague feeling you've eaten them before with the Thai sensations chilli crisps and I suspect the two have many flavourings in combination.

What else is there well the combination of tomato, chilli and hint of lime I think goes well on a crisp and it combines well with lunchtime sandwiches, how much Brazilian culture would wish to be associated with a potato tomato chilli product is more of a mystery but as they got knocked out last night the crisps have been more popular than the team.

Enjoyable and tasty, unfortunately the same can't be said about the current Brazil side.

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Not exactly Salsa but still a great flavour

Now that the World Cup is just around the corner I thought that I should finally get round to reviewing the range of crisps that Walkers launched in order to cash it on it, oh sorry, to celebrate it. They have created 15 new flavours that are supposed to represent 15 of the nations that have qualified for the World Cup.

As a sideshow they are also running the World Flavour cup where anyone can vote for their favourite flavour online or via text, with the winner being announced at the end of the tournament.

Typically for Walkers the crisps come in a packet which is far too big for the quantity of crisps they are giving you. You will find that the bag is barely half full. In this environmentally friendly, cost cutting era we're living in, you would think they might resolve this issue!

When you open a bag of Brazilian Salsa you instantly get a sweet aroma containing the various flavours in the salsa seasoning. The crisps themselves are slightly more orange than usual, probably from the paprika extract in the seasoning. There is great array of flavours contained in the seasoning giving these crisps a really exotic taste. There is real thyme, rosemary and paprika extract all of which contribute to the sharp taste. There is also a bit of sugar to give a contrasting sweetness. Ok, so it's not real salsa but it's very nice nonetheless. Just to finish it off, they could probably do with a hint of chilli to give a real salsa kick, but I'm not complaining.

As you might well expect from a packet of Walkers crisps they are not all that good for you nutritionally. Each 34.5g pack contains 180 calories and 11.2g fat. So I wouldn't have too many if you're watching your figure. This flavour is however free from MSGs, preservatives and artificial colours. They are suitable for vegetarians, but NOT for coeliacs (I don't know why) and NOT for vegans as they contain dried milk lactose.

I have seen them available at wildly varying prices, ranging from 60p in petrol stations to as little as 10p in Home Bargains and B&M Bargains. These crisps are definitely worth 10p of anyone's money.

Brazilian Salsa is my favourite flavour in this new range. The crisps have a good taste with plenty of exotic flavour. I would suggest that it will be a close call between this winning the Flavour World Cup and Brazil lifting the Jules Rimet trophy. Who knows they might do the double!

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I actually quite liked them

Everyone else seems to be reviewing the new range of World Cup crisp flavours from Walkers, so I decided I wanted to get in on the act! I will, however, only be reviewing the crisps that are suitable for vegetarians - which is surprisingly more than you might think!

The Brazilian Salsa crisps come packaged in a bright yellow and green bag resembling the Brazilian flag. I bought my packet singly so it contains 180 calories - I believe multipack bags are smaller so will contain fewer calories. The crisps contain no MSG, no preservatives and no artificial colours. What they DO contain are potatoes, sunflower oil and Brazilian Salsa seasoning, which contains dried milk lactose, salt, sugar, flavourings (rather vague), thyme, rosemary, pepper, citric acid, fructose, malic acid, and colour (paprika extract). It's always good to see an ingredients list in which most, if not all, of the ingredients are natural and which doesn't take up half the packet.

I've had salsa before, but I'm not sure what 'Brazilian Salsa' in particular is supposed to taste like. Opening the bag, the crisps are orange in colour (you can definitely tell there's paprika in there) with flecks of green, which I presume is the thyme and rosemary. There is a general spicy, herby smell, which seems promising - they smell pretty salsa-ey to me.

The taste of the crisps is interesting. They start off very herby, then there is a definite sense of salsa, then there is a spicy aftertaste. To me the spice is quite mild, though there is a definite kick to the crisps. If you prefer bland food these might not be the crisps for you. They are definitely flavoursome and one bag is certainly enough. They do make your fingers rather orange and you definitely have to wash your hands after eating!

I actually really liked these crisps. They didn't quite taste like the salsa I know, but they were tasty. I do think they could have done with less herbs and more spice/tomato flavour. However they're pretty decent and I'd consider buying them again. I couldn't decide whether to give three or four stars, but decided to be generous and give 4 as I really was quite impressed with them.

If you want to vote in the 'Walkers Flavour Cup', visit www.walkers.co.uk or text the country of your favourite flavour to 51199. When I've tried a few more flavours I might do this. Why not, it's free.

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Another let-down...just like The World Cup itself will end up being!

The fourth of fifteen new World Cup flavours I have tried, these are barely an improvement on what has come before! When you think of Salsa, I normally associate the taste with tomatoes, herbs, a hint of chilli, peppers and onion. What you get here is a poor aproximation of those flavours and a not very good crisp at all. Much like all the others I have so far tried in this range!

Opening the packet provides an encouraging Salsa-like smell and, like all of these flavours so far, you kind of get your hopes up that these are going to be worthy of what they are attempting to represent. Unfortunately, putting these in your mouth leaves you very unsatisfied!

I can taste the tomatoes, maybe even a few herbs but chilli...no! The taste is not paticulary strong but it is different from anything else on the market that I have tried. But I get a strong sense of citrus (lime maybe) and while this is not unpleasent, it does little for adding to the taste!

Overall, if you have been disappointed up until now, prepare for similar results. Walkers really haven't done themselves any favors with any of this range so far and should concentrate less on being Willy Wonka and more on being a good quality crisp manufacturer that doesn't need to rely on gimmicks to sell their produce!

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RUBBISH

Walkers have released 15 limited edition flavours in honour of the 2010 World Cup. Each flavour represents a country playing.

*Product*

The Brazilians have offered us Salsa flavoured crisps. These are basically potato crisps that have been supposedly seasoned by Salsa.

*Packaging*

The Salsa crisps come in a foil bag. The front of the bag has the green and yellow Brazil flag. It also has the familiar Walkers logo, flavour, a small nutrition chart and a trophy.

The back of the bag has the promotion details, ingredients, nutrition and details of how to contact Walkers.

*The Crisps*

The crisps are foil packed and therefore fresh and crunchy. They vary in size and are reasonably thin. They are a light golden colour with a noticable powdery seasoning and little green dots which I imagine are the herbs.

*Ingredients*

The crisps are made from potatoes and sunflower oil. They are then seasoned with a blend of dried milk lactose, salt, sugar, flavourings, thyme, rosemary, pepper, citric acid, fructose, malic acid, colour.

These won't be around for long. You can pick up a single bag for around 50p. They also come in a 6pk multi pack with 2 other flavours for around £1.30 or 2 for £2 in most supermarkets including Tesco.

*My Opinion*

Ok am I boring you now with my crisp reviews..tuff! After sampling some bad, some ok and some good flavours of the World Cup range, I have just sampled the Brazil offering which is Salsa. When I think of salsa, tomatoes and spiciness springs to my mind.

Hmm well the ingredients aren't what I expected and seem to contain alot of herbs. No tomato? I can definently smell it though when I open the bag. Anyway the crisps are crunchy and very fresh. They have that powdery seasoning which makes you hands icky and smelly so a good handwash may be needed after consuming. Unless you tip the bag into your pie hole like I regularly do!

The crisps look ok, pretty standard but with the orange seasoning and little green specks. Biting into one, the herbs really rush through. The taste is quite strong. I don't mind herbs but this wasn't what I expected. I wanted spicy and tomato like and didn't get it! *Cue strop*

The herb flavour is also combined with a slightly aromatic taste which leaves an after taste in my mouth which I am not keen on at all. The thyme really comes through and that is something I do like. The overall taste is somewhat tangy which is something salsa normal is but these do not taste of salsa!

Clearly Walkers don't know how to make things taste the way they should. These crisps may smell like tomatoes when you open the bag but there is nothing in there to taste like that and therefore I am rating these down!

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Nothing special

After last year's experiment with new flavours, Walker's Wondrously Wacky Flavours continue (they seem to be the Willy Wonka of crisps!)

So, to celebrate the countries that have reached this year's World Cup Finals (plus Scotland for some reason - though I can't wait to try the Haggis crisps), Walkers have released more weird and wonderful flavours.

Having tried and not particularly liked the Cheeseburger flavour (already reviewed here, plug, plug!), the next flavour we came across was the Brazilian Salsa. Hopefully the flavour will be as good as their football and the explosion of taste on my tongue will transport me to the Rio Carnival with just one mouthful. Here's hoping......

Once again, I got to finish off a packet of them because my son didn't like them. He wanted to try them, but for someone who didn't like the standard Steak and Onion flavour, it wasn't too surprising he didn't get on with something which is supposed to be a bit spicy. Still, all the more for me.

I like spicy food, so was looking forward to trying these.

Opening the bag (in the green and yellow of the Brazilian Flag), the first sense was the slight smell of spice and tomato

The first taste was also tomato, with pepper, with a little zing of spice on the tip of the tongue. After a few crisps you start to taste more of the pepper. Where is the spicy salsa flavour? This is more a wet weekend in Bognor (no offence) than Rio. There is a faint tingle, but not much more (say, compared to the Sweet Chilli flavour crisps).

No complaints with the crisps themselves which, being Walkers, were thin and crispy (!), not too greasy and with a lovely crunch to them.

Calories, fat content, salt, etc - not good, but you don't expect them to be, they are crisps, after all.

Cost - best deal is to buy the 25g bags in multipacks of 6 (2 each of 3 flavours). There are several different multipacks on offer with different combinations of flavours which, at the moment, can be found widely for £2 for 2 (or 16p per bag).

Voting - you can go online to Walkers Crisps and vote for your favourite - would this get my vote? So far, no.

I knew that the crisps weren't going to be very healthy, but 8.2g of fat is quite a lot, considering that there are never actually that many crisps in the packet.

The packet is the colours of the Brazilian flag so very easy to spot.

The taste of the crisps is extremely disappointing. I was expecting with a name like Brazilian Salsa that they would be a little bit spicy and really full of flavour, and they were the opposite. The main taste was tomato, I know that's not listed as an ingredient, but I could definitely taste it, and they had a herby after taste, which wasn't very pleasant, and as for spice, there was nothing. I can't imagine that a real Brazilian Salsa would be bland and not spicy at all. They have a powdery like substance that is visible on them which does get on your fingers and make them feel really greasy too.

I would not buy these crisps again, how they are called Brazilian Salsa I will never know. They are really bland and not spicy at all. Really disappointing, I expect more from such a big name like Walkers.